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Ijrtp Volume 14(Iii) Table Of Contents, Kevin A. Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Title page and Table of contents for Volume 14(iii) of IJRTP - International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pearls From Local Dentists: The Problem In Your Practice Probably Isn’T A Staffing Problem

West Michigan District Dental Society Bulletin

"Clinical Corner: Pearls from Local Dentists" is a section of the WMDDS Bulletin where local dentists share clinical wisdom for fellow practitioners. This edition discusses The Problem in Your Practice Probably Isn’t a Staffing Problem.

From Dissertation To Deployment: A Unified Software Platform Operationalizing Clinical-Prediction And Sequential-Security Ai For Healthcare, Olsi Shehu, Damiana Teliti, Jasmin Kevrić, Bekir Karlik

Communications of the IIMA

Advances in machine learning for healthcare are abundant, yet most validated models remain confined to research notebooks and never reach secure, usable clinical software. This paper addresses that deployment gap by presenting a unified, security-hardened software platform that operationalizes two complementary streams of doctoral research inside a single, role-based hospital information system. The first stream contributes a clinical-prediction capability: an ultra-hybrid ensemble that couples a quantum-inspired feature transformation, particle-swarm feature selection, and calibrated soft voting for cancer-outcome prediction (96.41% accuracy, AUC-ROC 0.983 on TCGA-BRCA), survival stratification, multi-cancer generalization, and pharmacogenomic drug-response classification (89.31% mean accuracy across 25 compounds). The second …

The Influence Of Entrepreneurial Marketing On Sustainable Competitive Advantage In Tanzanian Smes: A Lower-Order Dimensional Analysis, Omari Khalifa Mbura

Business Management Review

Although entrepreneurial marketing is increasingly recognised as multidimensional, limited understanding remains of whether its individual behaviours exhibit equivalent relationships with competitive advantage, particularly when behaviours associated with the same broad dynamic-capability process are considered separately. This study examines the associations between five lower-order dimensions of entrepreneurial marketing (EM)—proactiveness, innovativeness, resource leveraging, customer intensity and value creation—and sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) among food-processing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Guided by Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT), cross-sectional survey data from 255 SMEs were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in the SEMinR package in R. …

From Kitchen To Canon: Women And Culinary Recognition Executive Summary, Eulanda A. Sanders, Andra Harris

ICHRIE Research Reports

Despite women comprising a majority of the U.S. restaurant workforce, they remain significantly underrepresented in culinary leadership and elite recognition. Using an exploratory, descriptive design that draws on secondary data from the ACS, NRA, U.S. Census Bureau, and the James Beard Foundation, this study maps gender disparities across the culinary career pipeline. Women represent approximately 54% of the restaurant workforce but only 24.8% of chefs and head cooks, with a substantial gender wage gap persisting across the occupation (NRA, 2026; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024). Of 402 James Beard Award winners analyzed, 71.6% were male and 28.1% female. Disparities intensify at …

How Philadelphia Markets Itself As A Fifa 2026 Host City: A Social Media Strategy Analysis, Taylor C. Mickley, Kelly G. Barr, Lali Odosashvili

ICHRIE Research Reports

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup around the corner, host cities are competing for global attention on social media. This study analyzed 543 Instagram posts from three host cities: Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey from the USA and Monterrey, Mexico. Posts were collected between August and December 2025 during the FIFA World Cup qualifying period for North and Central America and the Caribbean. Content was classified by category and format, and engagement was measured through reactions, comments, reposts, and shares. The findings challenge a common assumption: cities that posted the most did not generate the most engagement. Commercial content such …

Beyond The Lab: A Competency-Rated Model For Building Industry-Ready Hospitality Leaders, Arlene M. Garrick

ICHRIE Research Reports

Hospitality employers continue to report a persistent readiness gap between academic preparation and operational performance. Supervisors cite inconsistent communication, limited cultural intelligence, weak leadership judgment, and subjective evaluation systems as barriers to building strong talent pipelines (Baum, 2015). This report presents the Competency‑Rated Experiential Assessment Model (C.R.E.A.M.), implemented within a live hotel operation at The Lodge at Hocking College to address these challenges. Within eight weeks, students demonstrated measurable improvements in communication clarity, cultural awareness, bias mitigation, and professional judgment. The model provides a scalable, low‑cost framework that hospitality operators and educators can adopt within a 30‑day cycle to strengthen …

The Use Of Job Design Optimization In The Hospitality Industry To Reduce Turnover, Emily Zirbes

ICHRIE Research Reports

Employee turnover remains one of the most persistent challenges in the hospitality industry, where high job demands, limited support, and chronic understaffing contribute to burnout and voluntary exits. This report examines how job design imbalances shaped the resignation of a long‑tenured front desk supervisor at a mid‑sized hotel. Using the Job Design Optimization Tool (JDOT), the analysis evaluates the alignment of job demands and resources across four dimensions: span of control, span of accountability, span of influence, and span of support. Findings reveal that disproportionate accountability expectations and insufficient support create a structurally unsustainable role. The report argues that turnover …

The Impact Of Social Expectations And Gender Norms On Women Leaders' Marital And Partner Relationships And Their Influence On Workplace Outcomes, Hedi Kovacs-Resnik

Economic and Business Review

Leadership sustainability among women remains insufficiently explained in leadership research, as dominant models prioritise workplace factors, neglecting the role of private-life demands. This research explored how social expectations and gender norms influence women's private lives and how the emotional impact spills over into their leadership style and performance, thereby influencing their career progression. Using a qualitative design and thematic analysis of 18 interviews with women in leadership roles, the research examined what it means to lead while also navigating family and relationships.
The findings revealed that the boundaries between women's private and professional lives are almost nonexistent. Professional success often …

When Loyalty Intentions Fail: Evidence On The Intention–Behaviour Gap And Customer Retention In Mobile Telecommunications, Danilo Tomšič

Economic and Business Review

This paper quantifies and explains the consumer intention–behaviour gap in mobile telecommunications and shows how it matters for competitive resource allocation. Using a two-wave longitudinal survey of 4887 consumers, I compare stated switching intentions at time t with self-reported provider choice at t + 1 and identify a 15.4% divergence comprising two forms: nonswitching intenders (consumers who intended to switch but did not) and switching nonintenders (consumers who did not intend to switch but did). Binary logistic models reveal temporal asymmetry in determinants. Among nonswitching intenders, higher baseline loyalty (satisfaction, repeat-choice commitment, and recommendation intention) lowers the likelihood of remaining …

Beyond Adoption: How Technology–Organization–Environment Factors Shape The Use Of Social Media Technologies And Performance In B2b Companies, Peter Grabner, Barbara Čater

Economic and Business Review

This study examines how technological, organizational, and environmental factors shape social media technology (SMT) use in business-to-business (B2B) markets and how SMT use relates to customer relationship performance and marketing performance. Building on the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework, we develop and test a structural model in which perceived simplicity of SMT (technology), SMT strategy (organization), and mimetic competitive pressure (environment) shape SMT use, which in turn affects customer relationship and marketing performance. We collected data with an online survey of 195 marketing and sales professionals from B2B companies in Slovenia. Results indicate that SMT strategy is the strongest predictor of SMT …

Nigeria's 2025 Tax Act In Comparative Perspective: Tax Rates, Compliance, And Fiscal Space With Econometric And Machine-Learning Evidence From Nigeria, South Africa, The United Kingdom, And The United States, Olatunji Dauda Ojedokun, Seun Adebanjo

Economic and Business Review

This study compares Nigeria's 2025 Tax Act with regimes in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States using quarterly panel data (2000–2025) and complementary econometric and machine-learning methods. We estimate fixed-effects difference-in-differences, autoregressive distributed lag/cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag error-correction models, dynamic panel generalised method of moments, and local projections to identify short- and long-run effects on revenue efficiency, compliance behaviour, and fiscal space. Predictions for VAT/corporate income tax revenues and gaps are generated with Elastic Net, Random Forest, XGBoost, and LightGBM, and heterogeneity is assessed via generalised random forests and doubly robust learners. Results show a significant, …

The Non-Binding Bind: Reframing Precatory Stockholder Proposals Under Delaware Law, Kyle A. Pinder

Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review

Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 allows stockholders to submit proposals for inclusion in a company’s proxy materials. The rule assumes that Delaware law provides stockholders with the right to submit non-binding proposals for stockholder approval. But as many have observed, this assumption lacks a firm basis in state law, particularly in Delaware. If such a right exists, a stockholder conducting its own proxy solicitation could submit numerous precatory proposals, including those advancing narrow or special interests. This article concludes that, under Delaware law, stockholders do not have an inherent right to submit precatory proposals. Accordingly, a …

Navigating The Eu’S Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive: Strategic Implications For Us Companies, Silvia Ciacchi, Michael Faure, Sharon Oded

Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review

The European Union’s (“EU”) Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (“CSDDD” or the “Directive”) introduces new human rights and environmental obligations that reshape global corporate governance. This paper explores its impact on US companies, with a particular focus on compliance strategies under both direct and indirect applicability. It contrasts tactical compliance, which emphasizes risk mitigation while meeting minimum legal requirements, against strategic compliance, where companies use sustainability to gain a competitive edge in the market.

This paper highlights how varying enforcement levels across EU Member States may incentivize companies to “forum shop” or choose jurisdictions with more relaxed enforcement. It also …

Green Information Systems Adoption And Business Outcomes In Ugandan Smes: An Extended Theory Of Planned Behaviour Approach, Sonny Juma Nyeko, Samali Mlay, Cosmas Ogenmungu, Abdallah Ibrahim Nyero

Business Management Review

The study assesses the relationship between TPB antecedents and GIS business outcomes in SMEs, using an expanded TPB framework. Researchers gathered data from SMEs via a survey and analysed it using PLS-SEM. The framework used in the study explains 58.5% of the differences in GIS business outcomes. The results reveal that subjective norms, attitude, benefits, and obstacles are significant predictors of GIS business outcomes such as ecological IT practices, although perceived behavioural control displays an insignificant negative relationship. The study extended the TPB model by incorporating GIS benefits and GIS obstacles as additional factors influencing GIS adoption, business outcomes, …

Central Bank Financial Strength, Credibility, And Global Market Risk: Evidence From Southeast Asian Economies, Mega Fauziah, Hermanto Siregar, Solikin M. Juhro, Tanti Novianti, Sigit Wibowo

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

This paper examines central bank credibility in the context of its financial strength, independence, and global market uncertainty in five Southeast Asian countries between 2005 and 2023. We find that the global market risk indicated by VIX reveals that these Southeast Asian economies, despite achieving considerable central bank independence and institutional development, remain fundamentally constrained by global market conditions in maintaining their credibility, measured by the difference between the inflation rate and its target in the same year. We argue that in emerging economies exposed to global uncertainty, central bank profitability, conditional on its independence, is vital for central banks …

Oil Futures Reactions To Monetary Policy Surprises: A High-Frequency Analysis, Syed Mujahid Hussain Dr., Basel Awartani, Farrukh Javed, Iqbal Khadaroo Dr., Nader Virk Dr.

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

This study examines how oil futures respond to monetary policy shocks arising from FOMC and ECB target-rate announcements, using high-frequency data. The results indicate that both sets of announcements significantly influence oil futures prices. However, FOMC decisions have a more pronounced effect on oil futures, whereas ECB interest rate surprises predominantly have a limited impact on the oil futures return and volatility. The analysis further uncovers an asymmetric response to positive versus negative interest rate shocks. These findings enhance the understanding of how monetary policy surprises are transmitted to oil futures markets. Therefore, these results have important implications for policymakers …

The Back Page - A New Chapter For The Mda Journal, Timothy Rath

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Tim Rath, MDA's Content and Editorial Manager, introduces himself as the managing editor of the MDA Journal. He outlines a new strategic chapter focused on aligning the journal's clinical content with the association's broader advocacy, educational, and membership events. Celebrating the legacy of Dave Foe and welcoming new Editor-in-Chief Dr. Romesh Nalliah, Rath emphasizes that the best story ideas originate from practitioners in the field. He invites Michigan dentists to share personal narratives of unique career paths, fascinating hobbies, unique patient cases, and life outside the clinic to foster professional inspiration.

Dentistry And The Law - Understanding ‘Rollover Equity’ When Selling Your Practice, Daniel Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Daniel J. Schulte, MDA Legal Counsel, addresses the legal and tax implications of 'rollover equity' when dentists sell their practices to private equity-backed buyers. The article outlines typical shareholder and buy-sell agreement restrictions, noting how equity is often subject to vesting and employment covenants. Schulte explains the critical importance of making an Internal Revenue Code Section 83(b) election within 30 days of closing. Failing to file this election results in taxation at high ordinary income rates as the stock vests, whereas a timely election accelerates tax payments but secures lower capital gains tax rates upon eventual sale.

Mda At Your Service - Protecting Your Practice, Finding Talent And More, Mda Membership Department Staff

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This Q&A compiled by MDA staff provides critical guidance to support practice owners. It outlines key warning signs of employee embezzlement, such as closely guarding job duties or refusing cross-training, and highlights complimentary risk assessment tools and endorsed investigative services available through Prosperident. Furthermore, the article introduces free recruitment resources on the MDA Job Board for searching job-seeker profiles and posting openings. It also provides practical advice for resolving communication and online portal login issues by verifying registered email addresses with the MDA membership department.

Staff Matters - How Can We Strengthen Our Hiring Process?, Jodi Schafer Sphr, Shrm-Scp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Jodi Schafer, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, provides practical strategies to help dental practice owners navigate the highly competitive labor market and strengthen their hiring process. The article advises practices to update outdated job descriptions, evaluate competitive salary data for geographical areas, and look beyond traditional job boards to employee referrals and patient networks. It stresses the significance of positive candidate experiences during recruitment, formalizing written job offers with clear compensation and benefit terms, and establishing structured onboarding programs to significantly enhance staff retention, job performance, and long-term practice success.

When Dentists Spoke Up, The Law Changed, Timothy Rath

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article details how grassroots member advocacy led to the passage of Michigan Senate Bill 105. Championed by the Michigan Dental Association, the law requires insurers to offer at least one fee-free payment method for dental reimbursements, protecting practices from being forced to pay transaction fees of 3% to 5% to access virtual credit card payments. Once a dentist opts out under the new law, insurers must maintain the alternative payment method. This legislative victory highlights the power of organized dentistry in relieving the administrative and financial burdens faced by individual practitioners amid rising operational overhead costs.

Udm Dean's Report - A Look At The Student Of Today As We Prepare Them For Tomorrow, Mert N. Aksu Dds, Jd, Mhsa, Cert. Dph

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

UDM Dental School Dean Mert N. Aksu discusses the profiles, expectations, and challenges of modern dental students, highlighting their collaborative nature, tech-savviness, and focus on wellness and work-life balance. The report outlines UDM's clinical curriculum enhancements, including systems-based biomedical integration, and extensive clinical practice labs. Aksu addresses the substantial 58% inflation-adjusted rise in educational debt since 2008 and updates on community service rotations (Corktown Clinic, Titans for Teeth), the implementation of the new Vermont Track for rural care, the adoption of AI radiographic analysis, and comprehensive student mental health support programs.

From The President - The Transformative Value Of Our Profession, Melanie E. Mayberry, Dds, Ms-Hcm

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Melanie E. Mayberry, MDA President, reflects on the transformative value of dentistry on both patients and the personal lives of practitioners. The article emphasizes how the dental profession builds stronger communities through service, empathy, mentorship, and continuous learning. Highlighting student and patient resilience in the face of adversity, Mayberry draws inspiration from events like the Kalamazoo Mission of Mercy, where volunteers provided over one million dollars in free dental care. She encourages dentists of all generations to foster a community of belonging, embrace professional evolution, and appreciate the spiritual and personal rewards of their service.

Um Dean's Report - Meeting The Challenge Of Educating Dentists In A Constantly Evolving Profession, Jacques E. Nör

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

University of Michigan School of Dentistry Dean Jacques Nör highlights the school's historical legacy during its 150th anniversary and details recent academic, clinical, and research progress. Key developments include the establishment of the state-of-the-art Digital Dentistry Center for in-house digital workflows, a pediatric certificate program in Social Epidemiology funded by a $2.1 million federal grant, the transition to Epic electronic health records (integrated with MyChart), and the community-based collaborative care rotation program in Marquette. The report also highlights national faculty leadership roles and $24.1 million in research funding.

J Mich Dent Assoc Sept. 2026

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Each month, the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association delivers news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200-plus members. It remains the main publication reaching Michigan dentists and is available worldwide through ADA Commons.

The September 2026 (Volume 108, No. 9) issue of the Journal is published in print format to provide updates and insights for Michigan's oral health community and MDA members. Print editions occur every other month beginning with January.

This full compilation of the September 2026 Journal of the Michigan Dental Association features the deans' reports from the …

The Pickleball Opportunity: A Case Study To Evaluate The Market Demand And Feasibility Of Opening A Private Pickleball Facility, Dene Williamson, Janet Jones

Global Sport Business Journal

This case study explores the market demand and financial feasibility of opening a privately owned, indoor pickleball facility in Warrensburg, Missouri. The central character, Mr. Dink, returns to his rural hometown with the goal of building a community-centric recreational space centered around America’s fastest-growing sport—pickleball. Students are asked to evaluate the business opportunity through comprehensive market research, financial forecasting, and risk assessment. Drawing from comparative data provided by an established facility in Florida, the case challenges students to adapt proven strategies to a smaller, lower-cost market. The case provides a platform to practice feasibility analysis, pricing strategy, break-even modeling, marketing, …

Mda Insurance - Online Open Enrollment Now Available For Mda Health Plan, Craig Start

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Craig Start, President of MDA Insurance, discusses health insurance planning for dental practices and families, introducing a new secure online open enrollment process through Employee Navigator for the MDA Health Plan. Running through October and November 2026, this online portal coordinates plan sponsors and employees to adjust coverage and add dependents. The article highlights other critical 2027 health coverage enrollment timelines, including individual marketplace plans and Medicare supplement choices, and emphasizes the personalized, cost-free advisory and claims advocacy services provided by MDA Insurance agents to support informed decision-making.

Patient-Centered Imaging In Dentistry, Erika Benavides Dds, Phd, Fabiana Naomi Soki, James R. Geist Dds, Ms, Angela M. Hoikka, Dds, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This clinical feature discusses joint guidelines by the ADA and AAOMR for patient-centered dental radiography and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), emphasizing individual risk-based needs rather than routine schedules. It covers the principles of radiation safety: justification, optimization (ALARA/ALADA), and dose limitation. The article maps out specific imaging modalities recommended for caries, periodontal disease, endodontics, orthodontics, implants, and TMJ disorders. Additionally, it summarizes Michigan's administrative rules for X-ray installation shielding, equipment alignment, stable mechanical support, operator positioning, and the mandatory radiography training program requirements for dental assistants.

Inflation-Differential Rule Versus (De Facto Soft-Peg) Discretion: Exchange-Rate Management Approach In Developing Economies, Behnam Ebrahimi, Mohammad Vaez Barzani Dr.

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

Many developing and emerging economies officially report a managed floating exchange-rate regime tailored with a fundamental exchange rate management approach, while in practice operating a de facto soft peg, characterized by discretionary, near-constant exchange-rate depreciation aimed at dampening inflation expectations. This discretionary approach—often justified as a pragmatic response to inflationary pressure—produces a hybrid regime that lacks the transparency and credibility emphasized in IMF policy guidance. This study evaluates whether substituting Discretionary Soft-Peg Exchange Rate Management approach with an Inflation-Differential Rule of Exchange Rate Management approach, which links exchange-rate adjustments to the inflation differential between domestic and rest of the world, …